Meet The 2023 Class: TE Joey Schlaffer

BSD’s recruiting staff sat down for a roundtable on each prospect Penn State signed in the 2023 class. Coming in at No. 17 was four-star tight end Joey Schlaffer.

What makes you excited about Joey Schlaffer?

“Schlaffer is every bit of his listed 6-foot-5 height and while he doesn’t look super fast, he has long strides which take him away from defenders. He’s also physical at the catch position point. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a superstar, but there’s no reason he can’t be a useful player for Penn State in time.” --Clay

What worries you about Joey Schlaffer?

“While Schlaffer is a smooth athlete, he appears to lack plus top-end speed that we’ve seen from some of Penn State’s tight end recruits in previous classes, so it remains to be seen what will happen when he has to add mass to his thinner frame. Add onto to the fact that Schlaffer was largely a receiver in high school and didn’t block much, and this could be a longer developmental period than usual.” --Marty

Do you think Joey Schlaffer will be redshirted next season? Around what point of his career do you think he pushes for meaningful playing time?

“Yes, Schlaffer will be redshirted next season. The tight end room continues to be stacked with Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren ready to take the reins. Plus, Schlaffer is just 220 pounds – he’ll certainly need at least a year to pack on some much needed mass to his thin frame. So don’t expect to hear much from Schlaffer until around year three.” --Patrick

What do you think is the most realistic outcome for Joey Schlaffer: depth provider, rotational/one-year starter, multi-year starter, all-conference, or all-american?

Clay: Depth provider
Marty: Rotational starter
Patrick: Depth provider

Lastly, where do you have Joey Schlaffer ranked in Penn State’s class?

Clay: No. 17
Marty: No. 17
Patrick: No. 15